Thank you to everyone who donated to Hurricane Maria Relief.
From Oct. 6–Oct. 8, 6,748 customers donated $3,695 Through SEED. Seward Co-op will contribute a $1,000 match, as well. Funds raised will go to Cooperativa Madre Tierra, a cooperative comprised of 100+ farmers—owners of the cooperative—who have lost everything.

A message of thanks from la Cooperativa Organica Madre Tierra:

In the name of our Cooperativa Organica Madre Tierra and as President of our Board of Directors, I would like to express our deep appreciation for your solidarity and support. Gestures of kindness like yours brings rays of hope in our efforts for reconstruction. Many of our farmers lost all their productions, many even their homes. Our Placita Roosevelt, the place where we celebrates our farmer´s market also got greatly impacted by the Hurricane Maria. We have no electricity and no phone at the office, but thanks to the solidarity of La Liga de Cooperativas-an association of Cooperatives here in Puerto Rico, we got a temporary office space from where we can start rebuilding. We were able to contact some of the producers of bread, oils, food, and other ecological products. Our Puerto Rico is in need of good news so we decided to do our best and have at least a modest market with healthy food, music, talks and even Yoga for kids. It will be a gathering of hope, good food and healing. Thanks to volunteers and our community we were able to clean some area of the Placita and the market will happen on this coming Sunday, October 15, God permits.

We thank the Seward Cooperative for the solidarity shown in directing SEED funds to help our farmers.

This recipe makes four jar salads—perfect for packing with lunches—or two large salads. The kale is sturdy enough to keep, so this recipe is great for Sunday night meal prep.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato, diced
• 2 Tbsp. olive or coconut oil
• 1 bunch green kale, shredded
• ¼ cup Salad Girl Crisp Apple Maple Organic Vinaigrette salad dressing
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Handful green beans, chopped
• 1 carrot, shredded
• 1 medium beet, shredded
• 1 small apple, diced or shredded
• Four clean 12- or 16-oz. glass jars

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add sweet potato and a few dashes of salt and cover, stirring occasionally, until tender. Cool. Meanwhile, shred kale into bite-sized pieces, wash, dry and place in a large bowl. Add Salad Girl dressing and massage until the kale begins to wilt. Set aside. While kale sits and sweet potato cooks, prepare the rest of the vegetables. Once the sweet potato is mostly cooled, divide and nestle in the bottom of four jars, followed by layers of the rest of the vegetables and apple, and top with the kale.

Seward Co-op’s Board of Directors will host a Candidate Forum as part of the 2017 election. We will gather in the Creamery Café to hear from and meet the candidates, and to visit with fellow co-op owners. LaDonna Sanders-Redmond, Diversity and Community Engagement Manager, will facilitate the large group portion of the evening and we’ll also have some time for informal conversation. In past years, voters have told the board that written essays alone make it difficult to distinguish candidates. We hope the forum will encourage dialogue about governing our cooperative. What questions might you ask of co-op board candidates?!

Light food and one free drink ticket is provided with all RSVPs. Additional drinks will be available for purchase. Space is limited; please register now!

Please note: beginning at 6 p.m. we will admit those who RSVP. If you are not present by 6:15 p.m., your spot may be given to others on a first come, first served basis.

Seward Co-op opened in 1972 on the corner of 22nd and Franklin avenues. In the beginning, the co-op was run by a core group of volunteers and had a modest selection of products with a heavy emphasis on bulk goods. Today, we have an abundant selection of bulk foods and wellness products to inspire both meal times and self-care routines, all while helping you save money and reduce packaging. In addition to pantry staples, scoop up our teas, medicinal herbs, dried fruits, local honey, cooking liquids, fair-trade coffee and household cleaning products. Did you know you can grind your own fresh peanut and almond butters?

Whether you are simply looking for festive Halloween snacks or want to stock up your pantry for fall baking, we have a treat for you: a 10-percent-off Bulk Sale* on Thursday, Oct. 19. All day — for one day only — everything in the Bulk department (even sale items and Wellness bulk items) is 10 percent off. In 1972, when the co-op took shape, few people imagined it would grow to be the thriving community center and source of healthful food it is today. What’s most important is that amidst its growth, the co-op has remained true to its Ends, never losing sight of its commitment to its owners and the greater community.

*The Oct. 19 bulk sale does not include reusable glass and plastic containers; items sold per pound in other departments, such as Produce and Meat & Seafood.

DIY Trail Mix

At Seward Co-op, our bulk aisles offers all the raw, salted or roasted nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and other tasty morsels you need in order to create an economical, nourishing snack that allows you to control the salt and sugar content. The basic formula for designing your own trail mix is to combine 50-percent nuts, 30-percent dried fruit, 10-percent seeds, and 10-percent any other bulk goodie of your choosing. Proportions are not an exact science, and quantities can be easily altered and tailored to your unique preferences or dietary restrictions.

Most conventional, premixed trail mixes are loaded with sugar and salt, but you can avoid that by making your own. It’s the perfect family-friendly activity that teaches healthful eating habits and serves as a nice introduction to the co-op. Here’s one of our favorite recipes to get you started.

Everyday Trail Mix

Ingredients
1 cup cashews
1 cup almonds
1 cup walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried bananas
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup chocolate-covered ginger

Directions
Toast the nuts and seeds in the oven at 350° F. until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

The annual Seward Co-op Board of Directors election begins Monday, Sept. 25. All co-op owners for whom the co-op has a current email address will receive a link to vote online. A paper ballot and election brochure will also be mailed to co-op owners.

Co-op owners elect the board of directors—one vote per household. Help maintain our healthy co-op democracy and participate in the direction we take as a community-owned business by casting your vote.

This year, there are three at-large seats up for election. Two seats are three-year terms and one seat is a one-year term. The candidate who receives the third-highest number of votes will serve the one-year term.

New This Year!
The board of directors hosted a Candidate Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at the Creamery Café. The candidate forum was an opportunity to hear from those willing to serve on the board and to mingle with fellow co-op owners.

Voting for the board is important and easy:
* Read the candidate essays and watch their videos.
* Select up to three candidates.
* Cast your vote online or mark your paper ballot.

Paper ballots are accepted at any co-op location or can be mailed. Voting is open through the annual meeting on Monday, Oct. 23, when election results will be announced. Click here for more information about the board of directors, or email board@seward.coop.

Stop by the co-op September 20—October 3 to learn how you can support the Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund. Blue Marble Brands, the company that brings you some of your favorite products like Woodstock Organics, Koyo Ramen and Mediterranean Organics has long supported the importance of organic farming. With their promotion, “Plant the Seed: Eat. Learn. Grow Organic,” you can pick up a coupon at Seward Co-op that not only gives you a $1 off select Blue Marble Brands products, but also supports more organic farmers. For every coupon redeemed, Blue Marble Brands will donate $1 to the Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund.

The Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund is a program that provides educational opportunities for students that focus on organic agriculture. The grant is awarded to K-8 teachers for an educational experience called “Look at Agriculture…Organically!” It is also used to fund Future Farmers of America (FFA) projects for high-schoolers as well as tuition and educational expenses related to organic agriculture programs for higher education students.

You can learn more about the Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund here. Do you know any local schools, FFA members or college students that could benefit from this grant? Encourage them to apply in their respective category – and help grow organic agriculture!

On Aug. 16, Seven Sundays of Minneapolis, MN issued a voluntary recall of their Vanilla Cherry Pecan Muesli (12 oz. pouches) because it may contain undeclared almonds. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to almonds run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

Vanilla Cherry Pecan Muesli $5.79
UPC: 8-56088-00315
Sell By: June 29, 2018
Size: 12 oz.

If you purchased this product at Seward Co-op between May 16 – Aug. 16, 2017, it will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

Only 23 percent of children in West Africa who enter primary school actually finish 6^th grade. The main reasons are lack of basic supplies and transportation. Since Alaffia built their first school in 2011, they have built 10 schools and donated school supplies to more than 20,000 students in Togo. Through Sept. 30, co-op owners and shoppers can donate the following items:

• #2 pencils
• Ball point pens
• White chalk
• Protractors
• Metal compasses
• Lined paper

Please bring any donations to the Wellness desk in either of our store locations. With your support, Alaffia will be able to provide thousands of students with much needed school supplies.

Alaffia is a fair-trade producer cooperative of skin and body care products in Togo, West Africa. The women of the Alaffia Shea Butter Cooperative gather shea nuts and hand craft shea butter and other raw ingredients using traditional, sustainable methods. The cooperative’s unrefined shea butter is then used as the base for Alaffia’s skin and hair care products, handmade in Lacey, Wash.

In 2003, Alaffia’s founders began the process of establishing an organization that would empower communities while preserving culture and resources. It was apparent that shea butter was the resource that would truly empower local Togolese. Members of the Alaffia cooperative have the opportunity to use their traditional knowledge and skills to support their families, while making indigenous, sustainable and effective skin care available to the global community. Furthermore, Alaffia dedicates a minimum of 10 percent of all sales to community-empowerment projects in Togo, so the impact of fair-trade, handcrafted shea butter reaches beyond the cooperative. Alaffia shea butter is certified Fair for Life by the Institute for Marketecology, one of the first and most renowned international certification agencies for organic and social accountability.